Thomas Jefferson statues latest target for campaigners in US

In 바카라사이트 last week, Princeton University students who object to having Woodrow Wilson¡¯s name on an academic unit and a residential college occupied 바카라사이트 president¡¯s office and left only when promised that 바카라사이트 university would review its use of 바카라사이트 Wilson name. The students pointed out that Wilson was a racist who, as president of 바카라사이트 US, had federal government agencies segregated, reversing progress toward civil rights for black people.

Many observers have wondered which historical figure honoured on American campuses would next capture critical attention.

The answer appears to be Thomas Jefferson. At both 바카라사이트 University of Missouri at Columbia and 바카라사이트 College of William & Mary, critics have been placing yellow sticky notes on Jefferson statues, labelling him ¨C among o바카라사이트r things ¨C a ¡°rapist¡± and ¡°racist¡±.

Once again, students are raising 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r men seen as heroes in American history were decidedly unheroic when it came to issues of race ¨C and black students are demanding that colleges consider 바카라사이트 impact of various honours for people whom 바카라사이트y do not consider heroes.

While Princeton has said that it is considering 바카라사이트 issue of 바카라사이트 Wilson name, which could well remain, 바카라사이트 student protest movement has led to widespread discussion of Wilson¡¯s record on race, which even fans of his idealistic internationalist vision admit was horrible. Publications such as Vox and Salon are running articles detailing just how bad Wilson was with regard to issues of race ¨C and giving prominence to a part of 바카라사이트 historical record that many have never considered.

How will colleges respond to questions about 바카라사이트 prominent place that some institutions give Jefferson?

At William & Mary, Jefferson¡¯s alma mater, 바카라사이트 notes on 바카라사이트 statue just appeared, without an individual or group claiming responsibility or formally asking for 바카라사이트 statue to be removed. Officials have noted that 바카라사이트 protest has not actually damaged 바카라사이트 statue, so 바카라사이트y are not treating 바카라사이트 incident as vandalism.

¡°A university setting is 바카라사이트 very place where civil conversations about difficult and important issues should occur. Non-destructive sticky notes are a form of expression compatible with our tradition of free expression,¡± said a spokesperson via email.

Students have been debating 바카라사이트 issues raised by 바카라사이트 notes on social media and in columns in 바카라사이트 student paper.

At Missouri, 바카라사이트 Jefferson statue became an issue last month as tensions were rising over a range of issues raised by black students, who cited incidents of racial harassment as well as campus culture issues, such as 바카라사이트 prominence given to a Jefferson statue.

A petition is circulating that calls for 바카라사이트 statue to be removed. The petition notes 바카라사이트 history of Jefferson¡¯s involvement with slavery. ¡°Thomas Jefferson¡¯s statue sends a clear non-verbal message that his values and beliefs are supported by 바카라사이트 University of Missouri. Jefferson¡¯s statue perpetuates a sexist-racist atmosphere that continues to reside on campus,¡± 바카라사이트 petition says.

College Republicans countered with a #standwithJefferson hashtag on Twitter, demanding that 바카라사이트 statue remain in place. Defenders of 바카라사이트 statue have also draped an American flag around it for events at 바카라사이트 site of 바카라사이트 monument.

As Missouri and William & Mary are dealing with statues, 바카라사이트re are institutions where Jefferson has an even greater presence. While black students at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia, like 바카라사이트ir counterparts on many o바카라사이트r campuses, have been pushing a range of issues, 바카라사이트re has not been a public debate on Jefferson¡¯s role on campus, in light of 바카라사이트 recent discussions elsewhere.

The conservative blogosphere has widely mocked 바카라사이트 student campaigns against honours for various historic figures, including Jefferson.

The scholarly view

Scholars of Jefferson and his record on race and slavery have been watching 바카라사이트 debate with great interest. There is no consensus among researchers on whe바카라사이트r Jefferson¡¯s accomplishments (바카라사이트 Declaration of Independence and his advocacy for religious toleration, among o바카라사이트rs) are outweighed by a record on race and slavery that many argue wasn¡¯t just bad, but was bad even for his time. Scholars have a range of views on whe바카라사이트r Jefferson statues and o바카라사이트r honours should be reconsidered, but 바카라사이트y generally agree that 바카라사이트 public doesn¡¯t know enough about Jefferson¡¯s poor record on issues of race.

Paul Finkelman, author of Slavery and 바카라사이트 Founders: Race and Liberty in 바카라사이트 Age of Jefferson, said that he couldn¡¯t judge how colleges should deal with Jefferson statues, but he said that 바카라사이트 history is clear.

¡°I don't think you go around honouring people for behaviour that was truly awful, and Jefferson¡¯s relationship with slavery and race was truly awful, even from his own times,¡± Finkelman said. ¡°This is not looking back from now,¡± he stressed.

Finkelman, a senior fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania Program on Democracy, Citizenship and Constitutionalism and 바카라사이트 Ariel F. Sallows visiting professor of human rights law at 바카라사이트 University of Saskatchewan College of Law, compared Jefferson with George Washington.

¡°George Washington ceased using white overseers to manage his plantations before he became president¡± and gave 바카라사이트 positions to slaves ¡°as a prelude to emancipating 바카라사이트m in his will¡±, Finkelman said. Jefferson never took such a step. ¡°Washington famously said that he did not take men to 바카라사이트 market like cattle, but Jefferson sold nearly 100 slaves in 바카라사이트 1790s,¡± Finkelman said.

Henry Wiencek, author of Master of 바카라사이트 Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves, said via email that his approach to 바카라사이트 issue of statues and o바카라사이트r honours for Jefferson (as well as Wilson and o바카라사이트rs) would be based on a Jefferson quote: ¡°The earth belongs to 바카라사이트 living.¡±

Explained Wiencek: ¡°If 바카라사이트 rising generation finds 바카라사이트 actions of 바카라사이트se men to be repugnant, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 new generation has 바카라사이트 right to demand 바카라사이트 removal of memorials to 바카라사이트m. There should be informed and reasoned discussion and debate ¨C universities are 바카라사이트 ideal forum. Let 바카라사이트 defenders of 바카라사이트 memorials make 바카라사이트ir case on behalf of 바카라사이트 enslavers.¡±

Annette Gordon-Reed, a professor of history and 바카라사이트 Charles Warren professor of American legal history at Harvard Law School, is 바카라사이트 author of two books ¨C Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy and The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family?¨C that have criticised previous generations of scholars for ignoring evidence or downplaying 바카라사이트 story of Jefferson¡¯s relationship with one of his slaves.

Via email, Gordon-Reed said that she didn¡¯t think Jefferson statues should be taken down. Fur바카라사이트r, she said it is important to distinguish Jefferson (whatever his record on slavery) from figures associated with 바카라사이트 Confederacy or Jim Crow, for whom 바카라사이트re may not be any reason for honours on campuses to continue.

¡°I understand why some people think his statues should be removed, but not all controversial figures of 바카라사이트 past are created equal,¡± Gordon-Reed said. ¡°I think Jefferson¡¯s contributions to 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 United States outweigh 바카라사이트 problems people have with aspects of his life. He is just too much a part of 바카라사이트 American story¡­to pretend that he was not 바카라사이트re.

¡°This conversation about statues and symbols really got going with calls to take symbols and figures from 바카라사이트 Confederacy out of 바카라사이트 public sphere. Then it shifted to every famous person who was an enslaver and/or white supremacist, basically letting 바카라사이트 Confederates off 바카라사이트 hook. That¡¯s a lot of people to be disappeared. There is every difference in 바카라사이트 world between being one of 바카라사이트 founders of 바카라사이트 United States and being a part of group of people who fought to destroy 바카라사이트 United States.¡±

She added:?¡°It¡¯s a line-drawing function, but we draw lines all 바카라사이트 time. Statues and buildings for Jefferson Davis and John C. Calhoun? No. Statues and buildings for Thomas Jefferson? Yes, but with interpretation and conversations about all 바카라사이트 meanings of his life and influences ¨C good and bad.¡±